The Barnwell High boys varsity basketball team could do no wrong in the first half of Friday’s region game against Silver Bluff.
Behind the shooting of center Phazahn Odom, who pumped in 15 first-half points, the Warhorses dominated the Bulldogs on their way to a 30-20 halftime lead.
However, the second half was a different story as the winds of momentum shifted to the Bulldogs. The end result for the Warhorses was a disappointing 58-55 overtime loss.
Barnwell High, which led by as much as 14 points in the first half, saw its lead evaporate in the second half. Trailing 48-45, Jalen Jackson drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Donte Wright took over for the Bulldogs scoring five of the team’s 10 points for the win. Wright finished with a team high 14 points.
With the win, Silver Bluff High improves to 5-0 in region play.
Silver Bluff High head coach Robbie McKenzie said his team bounced back after a tough first half.
“Offensively we couldn’t get anything going in the first half. I thought Barnwell did a good job defensively of keeping us out of sync,” McKenzie said.
“In the second half, we made adjustments and went with a smaller lineup. It  spread the floor and allowed  us to get into a better rhythm offensively.”
Barnwell High head coach Michael Highsmith said for his team it was a game of missed opportunities.
“We had this game and let it slip away,” Highsmith said. “I feel real bad for our players. They played so hard tonight only to come away on the short end.”
Offensively, the Warhorses were led by Odom with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Octavius Baynes had a solid game with 12 points, including a three-pointer, seven rebounds and four assists. Farris Nickens contributed seven points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Edward Johnson finished with four points, seven steals and seven assists.